Organization(s)
NAHB
Publication Date
Description
Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.
This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.
Showing results 101 - 150 of 202
Organization(s)
LASFM
Publication Date
Description
Site showing flame spread ratings and definitions for common building materials.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article explaining installing cavity insulation.
Organization(s)
Fox Blocks
Publication Date
Organization(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute,
PEPA
Publication Date
Description
A guide for users and energy raters of insulated siding as home insulation.
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report about promoting energy efficiency for Hilton Head Island.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more hurricane resistant.
Organization(s)
Johns Manville
Publication Date
Description
The purpose for this document is to provide basic guidance on the use of proven installation techniques that can be used by installers to help ensure correct “dense pack” application of JM Spider® in drill & fill applications.
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Article describing walls and moisture development on them.
Organization(s)
NCMA
Publication Date
Description
Article providing guidance for installing manufactured stone veneer, including information on rainscreens.
Organization(s)
Knauf
Publication Date
Description
Website providing information about Knauf Insulation.
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Website describing best practices for minimizing exposure to lead while doing repairs and renovations in homes built in 1978 or earlier.
Organization(s)
SIPA
Publication Date
Description
Test results used by multiple structural insulated panel manufacturers confirming a one-hour fire rating for specific SIP assemblies.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Indoor Climate Research and Training,
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report on the impact of air sealing between the foundation and the living space on radon transport reduction across the foundation and living space floor assembly at fifteen home.
Organization(s)
International Masonry Institute
Publication Date
Description
Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.
Organization(s)
Ply Gem Siding Group
Publication Date
Description
Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report on two approaches to retrofitting existing double-stud walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing a deep energy enclosure retrofit solution for insulating mass masonry buildings from the interior.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inch and require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet providing information on installing Rigid XPS foam board insulation to existing brick masonry walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the importance of properly insulating and air sealing masonry walls, providing step by step instructions and approaches.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the use of mineral fiber insulating sheathing in a high performance enclosure retrofit package.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document providing renovators and retrofit contractors an overview of considerations when including wall air sealing and insulation in an energy retrofit project.
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
University of Central Florida,
UCF
Publication Date
Description
Study investigating measured cooling energy savings from the installation of wall finishes with higher solar reflectance.
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
FEMA mitigation assessment team report following Hurricane Charley in Florida including observations, recommendations, and technical guidance for retrofitting hurricane-damaged homes.
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
FEMA mitigation assessment team report following Hurricane Ivan in Florida and Alabama including observations, recommendations, and technical guidance.
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team Report describing damages from Hurricane Michael in Florida in Oct. 2018 and recommendations for future hurricane preparedness.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the work conducted for high performance hybrid assemblies.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report explaining moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study.
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report describing evaluation of several configurations of wall assemblies to determine the accuracy of moisture modeling and make recommendations to ensure durable, efficient assemblies.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report on a study monitoring moisture conditions of double-stud wall assemblies with different insulation in Devens, Massachusetts.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow. Results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow; results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...
Organization(s)
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Report providing guidance to air-sealing multifamily homes.
Organization(s)
Extreme Panel Technologies
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document about development of models for evaluating thermal performance of walls in existing homes that will improve the accuracy of building energy simulation tools when predicting potential energy savings of existing homes.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering wind loading on roofing assemblies.
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Technical report describing research aimed to provide window manufacturers with foundational guidance for installing windows in walls with continuous insulation (CI), addressing critical aspects such as evaluating common installation methods, establishing acceptance criteria for window performance...
Organization(s)
Edition Diffusion Presse Sciences,
EDP Sciences
Publication Date
Description
A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.
Organization(s)
Technical Services Information Bureau,
Walls & Ceilings
Publication Date
Description
Manual describing design, detailing, material selection and troubleshooting for plaster, IEFs, and drywall, with information on continuous insulation, air barriers, rain screens, and ratings for fire and sound.
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
Large scale simulation study investigating the effects of cool roofs and walls on buildings of various vintages across the U.S., with special attention given to California.
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report documenting actual energy savings of a retrofit project in Boulder, CO.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study exploring a test method measuring air leakage between units through common surfaces and air infiltration across exterior, noncommon surfaces of the enclosure.